Samantha Wilson is a figurative artist based in Dundee, Scotland. She gained both a first class honors degree in Fine Art and an MFA in Art and Humanities with a distinction between 2010 and 2015, at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design.

My work is located at a counter-intuitive position, between the visible and the invisible, created to address the lacuna between social interactions and language. Using photographic research and documentation I re-represent in 2-dimensional work, the experience of connection and disconnection. The work explores as it asks; how can we cultivate a more compassionate society through art and creativity?

The Project

This project is to enable a period of research at the JIWAR, international residency program in Barcelona, Spain, for artists and researchers of Urban Creativity.

Awakening Hearts,adheres to the idea of ‘waking up’ our hearts, to the people around us, by making visible, the invisible boundaries we use to separate ourselves from one another. Through drawing and painting, this project seeks to make visible the veils under which we all cower. Provoking conversations between the ‘Wanting Self’, the Fearful Other, the Victimized Family Member, the Judging Friend or the Personal Ghosts. It asks, as it responds instead; “You are I”, and “I am you”, aren’t I? Only born into a separate body, both seeking the same ideals: love, fulfilment, happiness and connection.

The project will be comprised of documenting through photographing, writing and drawing, composing a body of research to produce a new body of work. It will respond to how differentiating cultures communicate in the urban and public spaces of Barcelona. One will observe people, living together and apart, studying idiosyncrasies of relationships, between locals, tourists, family members, couples and individuals moving through daily life. My vision for this project is to carry this research beyond the residency, bringing observational artworks from across the globe that uncover the way people live alone and together under one roof, in an attempt to physically bridge social gaps through art and creativity.

Why JIWAR?

JIWAR, an arab word literally means neighbourhood. The program’s objective refers to the art of establishing creative and sustainable relations between neighbours in a district. Beyond this, JIWAR evokes a philosophy of life that consists of neighbouring values and bridging experiences. Seeking to promote inter-cultural and interdisciplinary exchange in the surrounding area and the city of Barcelona. The influx of international meetings that occur in a bustling urban environment like Barcelona, stimulates one’s imagination to reflect upon how creativity can best be used to affect positive change, in society and ’the neighbourhood'. Furthermore, it presents an opportunity to connect with other like-minded artists and creators, that aspire to bring influential projects to improve local and global communication. With this in mind, one’s project's objectives situate themselves seamlessly into JIWAR’S program.

A Closer Look at JIWAR and its Vision

The links below will take you two short videos, featuring JIWAR's objectives and some of the artists that have previously participated in this residency. Further underpinning the influential relationship between JIWAR and this project.

Depending on what you pledge, backers can expect to recieve the following: original, sole edition artworks, updates of the project, including photographic documentation, studio creation, blog posts/essays that cover my development and documented artwork produced during and after my stay in Barcelona.

Full details can be found in the rewards section.

More...

I will share with you any collaborations made between myself and other artists in Barcelona in response to the residency. Invitations to attend exhibitions and/or talks in response to my time spent at JIWAR and future developments of the project.

(The next developmental location will be in India, April 2016…!)

Shown here are some examples of artwork that would be gifted to you. Large donations will have the opportunity to request a personal commission.